Improvement in spinning-wheels



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. M. FLOOD, 0F FULTON, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPINNING-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51.532., dated December12, 1865.

to the letters of reference marked thereon and made to form part of thisspecification.

Of the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the improved wheel, andFig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

rlhe nature of thisinvention consists in gearing the spindle up to therequired speed by a series of wheels and belts, the said spindle beingerected on the outer end of a movable arm, which is actuated in oppositedirections alternately by a treadle and a weight attached to oppositeends of a cord, which, between these two points of attachment, passesaround a wheel on the journal, which connects the swingin garni to thebench, which supports the whole, so that the operator, by placing hisfoot upon the treadle, will cause the spindle-arm to recede from him soas to lengthen out the thread while being spun, which being completed,the weight on the other end of the cord will canse the arm to swing backto its former position automatically, at the same time winding thethread upon the bobbin on the spindle.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use myimproved wheel, Iwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct the frame or bench A supported on the legs B. Across the topof this frame, and near its back end, is secured the frame C, a portionofthe top of which is broken out in Fig. 1 to disclose the wheels anddrivingbelt. The frame C consists of a sill and a cappiece connectedtogether by means of a post on either end. Within this frame is thehorizontal belt-wheel D, which is secured to an upright shaft, the upperend of which terminates in the crank E. The wheel D is connected withthe small counter-pulley F on the counter-shaft a by means of the beltD. The counter-shaft a has its bearings in the upper and lower pieces ofthe frame C; and, loesides the counter-pulley F on it, there is anotherand larger wheel, F', by means of which and the belt G on it anincreased motion is transmitted to the counter-pulley H on the journalx, which carries besides it the larger pulley H', which again, in turn,transmits motion to the wheel I on the spindle K through the medium ofthe belt L.

The swinging arm M, on the outer end of which is the spindle, is pivotedto the bench A by means of the vertical shaft w,which serves thecombined purpose of journal for the wheels H, H', and N and the pivot onwhich the said arm swings back and forth.

It will be observed that the wheels H and H are to be fastened together,and that the wheel N will be fastened to the swinging arm as thebackward-and-forward motion of said arm is transmitted to it through themedium of this wheel, as hereinafter described.

The treadle O is hinged to the inner side of the back legs of the benchnear their lower end, the whole being so arranged that a person sittingby the side of the bench in a convenient position to turn the crank Ecan readily place the foot on th'e treadle. The cord P, attached to oneend ot' the treadle, will pass thence upward around the wheel d, whichis placed in the upper face of the bench, thence over the top of thebench and around the wheel N, and finally terminate in its attachment tothe weight WV.

The operation of these arrangements is as follows: The operator, sittingby the side of the machine, can easily turn the crank E a few times withone hand, when the inertia of the machine will cause it to turn for someseconds without assistance. The various wheels and belts alreadydescribed will transmit an accelerated motion to the spindle K, asalready described. Then, as the thread becomes twisted by the action ofthe spindle, and it becomes necessary to increase the distance betweenthe spindle and the operator, all that it will be necessary to do willbe to press with the foot on the treadle and the action of the corddra-w ing around the wheel N will cause the arm to swing off from theoperator. When the foot is raised oi' the treadle the action of theweight W wifl cause the arm to swing back to its original or rstposition. The two positions of the arm M are indicated in the drawingsas No. l and No. 2. When the spindle swings back to No. 1 the spunthread will be wound up on t tu brooch.

Having described my invention, what I 2. The crank E, the wheels D, F,F', H, H', claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, and I, thebelts D', G, and L, and the spindle is- K, when combined and arranged asand for l. The ann M, pivoted to the bench A at rv, the purpose setforth. in combination with the treadle O, the belt 0r l cord P, theWheels N, d, and cl', and Weight YV, the whole constructed, arranged,and operated as described and set forth.

J. M. FLOOD. Witnesses:

HARVEY SMITH, GIPsoN HENDRICKS.

